Overview
While on-chain ENS interactions are straightforward, the off-chain environment is evolving to provide more flexibility and functionality. This document explores the improvements in the off-chain domain’s metadata retrieval and all available records, modifying the ENSIP-16 specification to enhance the developer experience and latency for user experience.
The Need for ENSIP-16
This contribution was developed during the implementation of a solution fully capable of reading and writing offchain domains which can be found on Blockful’s External Resolver repository.
While EIP-3668 (CCIP-Read) provides a standardized method for resolving domain records, it lacks comprehensive data retrieval capabilities. ENSIP-16 addresses this gap by offering a dynamic API that exposes all relevant data for externally resolved domains, including:
- Text records
- Address records
- Subdomain information
- Register date
- Owner
Each resolver/subdomain issuer is responsible for indexing the relevant data of its domains, and not the ENS protocol.
Improved GraphQL Schema
Recent implementations have led to enhancements in the ENSIP-16 GraphQL schema. The updated schema provides a more complete and efficient structure for data retrieval:
type Text {
key: String!
value: String!
}
type Address {
address: Bytes!
coinType: BigInt!
}
type Resolver {
id: ID!
node: Bytes
context: Bytes
address: Bytes
domain: Domain
contentHash: Bytes
texts: [Text!]
addresses: [Address!]
}
type Domain {
id: ID!
context: Bytes
owner: Bytes
name: String
node: Bytes
label: String
labelhash: Bytes
resolvedAddress: Bytes
parent: String
parentNode: Bytes
subdomains: [String]
subdomainCount: Int!
resolver: Resolver!
expiryDate: BigInt!
registerDate: BigInt
}
Key Improvements
- Introduction of
TextandAddresstypes:- Provides both keys and values in a single query reducing the need for multiple queries
- Modification of
subdomainsin theDomaintype:- Temporarly changed from a list of domains to a list of identifiers for preventing recursive query issues and potential infinite loops
Schema diff
The following is the git diff of the ENSIP-16 standard implementation and the improvements suggested by this document.
Implementation details
The latest version of a fully compliant Offchain Resolver is live on Sepolia. It implements:
- Metadata API (ENSIP-16)
- CCIP-Read (EIP-3668)
- Cross-chain Writing Deferral (EIP-5559)
Metadata API
The Metadata API handles schema requests, returning comprehensive domain information for domains that use a resolver compliant to this standard.
Sample response
{
"data": {
"domain": {
"id": "0x3a872f8FED4421E7d5BE5c98Ab5Ea0e0245169A0-0x2ba36aeb3375ac814e263100ad295d4af98c502343c6b3980e4d5e050636de77",
"context": "0x3a872f8FED4421E7d5BE5c98Ab5Ea0e0245169A0",
"name": "zuffo.eth",
"namehash": "0x2ba36aeb3375ac814e263100ad295d4af98c502343c6b3980e4d5e050636de77",
"labelName": "zuffo",
"labelhash": "0xeb8c8cc4cbec6f48eb4b48a48ec473e66e719cd1a44f69509daf11416eb9fc97",
"resolvedAddress": "0xfCfC138635e8c00BfDa78507C8abeD5013148150",
"parent": "0x93cdeb708b7545dc668eb9280176169d1c33cfd8ed6f04690a0bcc88a93fc4ae",
"subdomains": [
"blockful.zuffo.eth"
],
"subdomainCount": 1,
"resolver": {
"id": "0x3a872f8FED4421E7d5BE5c98Ab5Ea0e0245169A0-0x2ba36aeb3375ac814e263100ad295d4af98c502343c6b3980e4d5e050636de77",
"node": "0x2ba36aeb3375ac814e263100ad295d4af98c502343c6b3980e4d5e050636de77",
"context": "0x3a872f8FED4421E7d5BE5c98Ab5Ea0e0245169A0",
"address": "0xfCfC138635e8c00BfDa78507C8abeD5013148150",
"addr": "0x3a872f8FED4421E7d5BE5c98Ab5Ea0e0245169A0",
"contentHash": null,
"texts": [
{
"key": "com.linkedin",
"value": "linkdedin.in/zuffo"
},
{
"key": "olimpiadas",
"value": "rebeca"
},
{
"key": "com.twitter",
"value": "@zuffo"
}
],
"addresses": [
{
"address": "0x3a872f8FED4421E7d5BE5c98Ab5Ea0e0245169A0",
"coin": "60"
}
]
},
"expiryDate": "1752358416"
}
}
}
Steps to reproduce
- Go to the ENS APP on Sepolia
- Create a domain or get one you have
- Set it’s resolver to the Blockful’s DatabaseResolver (
0xfCfC138635e8c00BfDa78507C8abeD5013148150) - Go to the nameful dapp*
- Connect you waller and find your domain in
managetab - Set any records you’d like (it relies on the EIP-5559 to redirect to the Blockful’s Gateway)
- Go to the Metadata API Interface
- Change the name variable to your domain’s name
- The subdomains page is still under development and will soon be released.
Conclusion
The improvements to the ENSIP-16 schema and the implementation of off-chain resolvers represent significant progress in ENS functionality. These enhancements provide a more robust, efficient, and flexible system for managing and resolving ENS domains, both on-chain and off-chain. As the ENS ecosystem continues to evolve, these developments will play a crucial role in expanding its utility and adoption across the Ethereum network and beyond.